License Plate Bird Feeder

Upcycle that box of old license plates into a bird feeder!

Parts Needed:

• 7 standard steel license plates
• 14 rivets
• Scrap wood
• Wire or rope for hanging your feeder

Tools Needed:

• Pop Riveter
• Tin Snips
• Pliers
• Drill
• Vice
• Gloves
• Safety glasses

You will need three license plates for the roof and one for the center support. Decide the pitch of your roof. I chose a 145 degree angle to bend my main plate into. The use of a vice, scrap wood, and a hammer worked wonders. By applying pressure in the direction of the desired angle and hammering along the seem you should easily form your pitch. Choose two other plates for the roof. Measure 1 1/2" inches from each corner of your bent license plate, for a total of 4 holes. Drill the holes of equal measure to your rivets, mine were 3/16" rivets. Using your pop riveter, rivet the three license plates together. Choose another license plate to attach your roof to the base, the center support. You will bend this plate twice, once on the short end at an angle matching the pitch of your roof and the other, also on the short end, to 90 degrees to attach to the base. Drill a hole in the main roof plat that is 1" in from the middle. Rivet the roof to the support.

You will need two license plates for the bottom. Bend once of the long sides of each plate, 1" to a 90 degree angle. Drill holes 2 1/2" inches from the middle and rivet.

You will need one license plate for this step. Use the tin snips to cut one plate in half long ways; you will end up with 2, 3" x 12" rectangles. Bend each of the rectangles, length wise, at a 90 degree angles. Now measure 1 1/2" inches in from the corner both ways, and cut using the tin snips. Using the edge of the vice bend the now sharp edges at a 90 degree angle, repeat to the other half. The sharp edge goes under the base and the 90 degree angle sides should be inside. Drill 1" from the corners of the base and attach the other sides. The base is complete!

Using the vice clap drill three holes in the base. The holes should be in the middle and evenly spaced. Drill holes of equal distance and diameter into the bottom of the support which is bent at a 90 degree angle. Rivet the base to the center support. Your feeder is complete!